Virginia Vets Lose $24.2 Million Yearly as Senate Inaction Impacts Combat-Injured Retirees

Norfolk, Virginia Jan 1, 2026 (Issuewire.com) Virginias economy is losing more than $24 million annually because the U.S. Senate has not fixed a federal retirement offset that targets combat-injured, medically retired veterans, according to new data released by veteran advocacy groups. Advocates attribute the loss to a single Senate objection and the silence that followed.

Senior Chief Shane Junkert, USN (Ret.), a decorated combat veteran and founder of 54KVeterans.org, says the impact is concentrated in Virginias critical military and national security regions, where federal service forms the backbone of local economies.

In Virginia, people understand federal service and federal retirement, Junkert said. Right now, 1,683 combat-injured Virginia families are getting the same message: your retirement is optional.

This isnt just a line item in a budget, Junkert added. This is $300 a week that these families earned through service and sacrificemoney the Senate is refusing to pay.

Recent media coverage

A Mississippi news report covered Senator Roger Wickers objection to the Major Richard Star Act and highlighted a billboard campaign calling attention to the stalled legislation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMYuPw4ELTA

The impact on Virginia

Under current law, veterans medically retired due to combat injuries must waive Department of Defense retired pay dollar for dollar to receive VA disability compensation. Using a conservative average of $1,200 per month in lost retired pay per veteran, Virginia loses approximately $2,019,600 in economic activity every month, totaling $24,235,200 per year. This money would otherwise circulate through Virginia households and local businesses.

The effect is concentrated in Hampton Roads, home to Norfolk Naval Station and major joint infrastructure, and Northern Virginia, which hosts dense populations of service members, veterans, and federal national security employees. Advocates note that withheld retirement income drives financial strain in the very regions that sustain Americas defense capabilities.

In 2021, Senator Wicker publicly described himself as a cosponsor of the Major Richard Star Act, calling it a commonsense fix for combat-injured retirees forced into early medical retirement.

Legislative next steps

Advocates are urging Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to publicly support S.Amdt. 4056, which would attach the Major Richard Star Act to the must-pass defense funding process, forcing senators to take a public position.

On October 8, 2025, the Major Richard Star Act was prepared to move by unanimous consent, but Senator Wickers objection stopped the measure without a recorded vote.

It shouldnt take Mississippi billboards to highlight the retirement offset for Virginia veterans, Junkert said. If Virginias senators have influence in Washington, this is exactly what it is for.

About 54KVeterans.org

54KVeterans.org is a grassroots coalition of combat-injured veterans advocating for the passage of the Major Richard Star Act to end the Chapter 61 retirement offset for eligible combat-injured medical retirees.